Founder Retires From Health News Florida

After more than four decades as a journalist, Health News Florida’s founder and former editor Carol Gentry is retiring from WUSF Public Media.

While Gentry spent many of those years reporting in the Tampa Bay area, the impact of her work covering health care has been felt across Florida and the country. Whether she was uncovering doctors who made medical mistakes or explaining complicated state policies, Gentry always kept consumers in the know.

In particular, her creation in 2006 of Health News Florida as an online news organization continues to leave its mark as an outstanding example of independent, non-profit journalism. Similar projects in other states follow the Health News Florida model.

“Carol’s been an inspiration for health care journalists across the country,” said WUSF News Director Mary Shedden. “Over and over, Carol’s held the powerful accountable and the public benefited.”

In 2012, Gentry sold Health News Florida to WUSF Public Media, adding broadcast journalism to its established online presence. In 2014, the editor became a special correspondent for Health News Florida, which has evolved into a statewide collaborative of public radio stations.

Health News Florida has been repeatedly recognized for its outstanding online journalism, including a national Edward R. Murrow Award in 2016 and several Green Eyeshade Awards from the Society of Professional Journalists for the Southeastern United States.